


Hunting for clues | Cedric Diggory x reader

by Cawyx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26287198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cawyx/pseuds/Cawyx
Summary: When you offered your help to Viktor and Cedric to look for clues concerning the second task, you did not expect the night to turn that way.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

You looked around, firmly holding your wand as a warm light was illuminating the tip of it. You knew it was not a good idea the moment you agreed to it. You glanced to your left and saw the figure of the tall young man standing next to you, his grey eyes appeared almost silver under the glow of his wand. Your eyes met, he raised his eyebrow as if asking if you were ok. You smiled in response to assure him that you were fine. You turned your attention to the dark-haired man on your right. He was tensely examining around him, his wand going back and forth between the different eerie sounds of the forest. You lifted your hand to warn them to stop walking. 

"Can you remind me why we are doing this again?" You asked, trying to keep your voice in a lower tone. You did not want any unwanted company. 

Viktor Krum had been the first to ask you to accompany him to the Forbidden Forest. You had been friendly to him since the moment he arrived in Hogwarts. You were not sure what to expect when you first approached him as he was quite famous for his age, and already had a fan club following him around, much to his dismay. However, Viktor turned out to be unexpectedly friendly despite his grumpy look and gladly answered all the questions you had about Durmstrang. Therefore, when he asked you for help concerning the second task, you immediately accepted. 

However, you did not expect that Cedric Diggory would ask the same thing. Being the same year as him, you quickly became friends. He was always nice and eager to help you whenever you needed help. That is why you could not turn him down. It also did not help that you had a huge crush on him since the first time you had laid your eyes on him. You accepted in a heartbeat, completely forgetting about your previous arrangement with Viktor. 

Your stupid smile quickly left your lips, when it came to your mind that you had said yes to the both of them. You nervously started to think about a solution. You could not say no to Cedric, if your fellow students were to learn that you helped your school enemy over Cedric, they would not let it go. Plus, you have been friends with Cedric for years, and even though he would be polite enough to not show it, you know that it would hurt him. Yet, dismissing Viktor was not a solution either. He was the one who came to you first, and although you had not been friends with him as long as Cedric, he was still your friend. Not able to choose, you decided to meet them both at the same time. 

That same day, in the middle of the night, hidden at the edge of the forest, you waited for them. Cedric was the first to arrive. He beamed when he saw you as your heart skip a beat. His smile faded and his brows knitted together, eyeing something coming in the distance. You narrowed your eyes, trying to distinguish the silhouette walking toward you. 

"Viktor." Cedric muttered. His voice was calm and collected, but you knew that something was off. 

"Cedric." He replied in the same tone. 

"Are you lost? I know that Hogwarts can be a maze when you don’t know your way around." Cedric asked. 

Viktor stared blankly at him. 

"Sank you, but I have a meeting vith _____. I am guessing zat I am not ze only one meeting her." He said while finally facing you, giving you a questioning look. Cedric imitated him. You shrank under their stares, trying to be as small as possible. 

"I agreed to help you both. It did not feel right to turn any of you down. I am sorry, I could not choose." You confessed, dreading their reactions. Viktor was the first to break the ice. 

"It’s alright, ____." 

"Yes, don’t worry. I wouldn’t want you to choose." Cedric said looking gently at you. "Plus, three minds can only be better than one." 

Viktor nodded in agreement as you let out a sigh of relief. You led them into the forest. Far enough to not be caught by the teachers. You were used to the forest. You found it fascinating, but you were always careful not to go too far, in order to not get lost, or worse encounter one of its creatures. But tonight, you ventured farther away than usual, and even though you were not alone, you could not prevent the fear slowly creeping inside of you. It was also not helping that you could feel some sort of tension between the two boys.

"I thought that since the eggs were taken from dragons, maybe we could find a clue somewhere with creatures. Maybe it will open in a certain place related to them." Cedric answered your previous question, "because we all know what happened last time we try to open it..." He added. You all frowned at the unpleasant memory of the shrieking egg. 

"I zought ze same. You told me zat you knew ze Forbidden Forest, zat’s vhy I asked you." Viktor stated. They were sizing each other up. The tension in the air was becoming stifling. As you could not bear it anymore, you announced that here would be the perfect spot to open the eggs. 

They took their golden eggs out of their bags, carefully handling them. They glanced at each other, and in a silent agreement, they opened them at the time. They immediately started to screech horribly. You put your hands over your ears, trying to protect yourself from the horrible sound. Maybe it was due to the eerie silence of the woods, but it felt as if the sound was worse than the first time. Cedric and Viktor seemed as surprised as the first time with the racket, their faces distorting in horrible ways. 

"CLOSE IT!" You yelled over the noise. They snapped out of their stupor and quickly shut them off. You eagerly welcomed back the silence, which was only interrupted by the heavy breathing of your friends. You look anxiously around you. 

"We should leave!" You whispered loud enough. "Right now." You emphasized searching the distance for an eventual threat. 

"You’re right, let’s go." Cedric said as he put the awful device back in his bag. 

You turned back and picked up the pace. You could not relax, you were still deep in the woods, and you were certain that your little trip in the forest did not go unnoticed. You glanced at Cedric, still on your side but he was looking behind you with a horrified look. 

"_____ watch out!" Cedric shouted but before you had time to comprehend what was happening, the young man plunged forward and pushed you away. You fell on your back, the leaves cushioning your fall. You took one look at where you were standing, you briefly met Cedric’s eyes before something slammed into his body and sent him flying against a nearby tree in a horrible thud. You cried out his name as you stared at his motionless body. You immediately turned your attention to Viktor who was making his way toward Cedric, wand up, trying to keep the creature at bay. However, its attention was not on him as it was walking to you. Your eyes had adjusted to the darkness so you could finally distinguish your attacker. A forest troll. You watched in horror as the twelve feet creature loomed over you. You had heard rumors about them living in the Forbidden Forest, but they were supposed only be rumors. You firmly gripped your wand ready to fight. 

"______ move out ze vay!" You heard Viktor yelled. You could see flashes of light behind the troll, Viktor was probably trying to attack it with different spells, but it did not seem to have any effects, only making it grunting louder. You rolled on your side as a gigantic green hand landed loudly were you were staying a second ago. 

"Stupify!" You shouted, but nothing happened, it only angered the creature, that grabbed you. You felt your body being roughly lifted in the air. You were being crushed between its fingers, all of your bones were cracking in a sickening sound. The pain was too much to handle. Everything was aching. You were gasping for air as your lungs were being compressed. Your vision started to get clouded, and the inside of your mouth tasted like metal. Finally, your body stopped responding to you and you dropped your wand on the ground. Viktor came running toward you, he was yelling something, but you could not hear it. The troll raised the hand you were in and slammed it against Viktor. You did not know which one of you cried in agony but it was the last sound you heard before fainting. 

A hideous smell filled your nostrils as you slowly regained consciousness. Your head was pounding, and your body was still aching. You were relief when you noticed that you could still wiggle your toes and fingers. You scanned the place, but it was too dark to see anything. You felt something hard and cold under your hand. A bone. You clenched it, without your wand that was your only plausible weapon. Even if the odds were slim. You sensed the troll coming back before you could see it. You wondered how it could have sneak up on you like that since each of its steps was making the ground shake. 

He was now in front of you. It stretched its hand to grab you as you cry in pain. He moved your body closer to its mouth. You shuddered to the thought that he was going to eat you alive. You raised your bone, which was bigger than you imagine. Good. You started to hit him with all your might. Kicking, biting, swinging. The adrenaline made you forget about the pain for a while. The troll was jerking you around, grunting, displeased by its recalcitrant dinner, but you hold on. Without warning, it dropped you. You cried out when your body hit the floor. Unable to go back on your feet, you started to crawl away from the creature. You briefly checked its whereabouts, it was making its way toward you. You clenched your teeth and use your last remaining strength to go faster, bracing for the worse. He was almost at your level when a trunk appeared on its side and smashed it. Before the troll had time to react, the trunk charged again aiming for its head this time, striking it several times. You saw its eyes rolled behind its head as its body began to sway. It took everything you had to roll on your side as the troll fell unconscious where you were. 

"________?" Cedric’s voice called out. "________?! Are you ok?!" 

"Over here!" You try to scream but your voice got stuck in your throat. He still found you right away and rushed to your side, examining the damages. Once he made sure that you were fine, he helped you up. You grimaced at the movement. 

"Sorry. Bear with it a bit longer." He said concerned. He was not in better shape but he ignored it.

He slid his arm around your waist and you put yours around his shoulders, supporting each other. You staggered back to the castle. The realization that Viktor was nowhere to be seen, suddenly hit you. 

"Where is Viktor?!" You asked Cedric, fearing the worst. 

"He’s fine. I asked him to back to warn the teachers that you were in danger." Cedric replied, tightening his grip around your waist. "He was hard to convince, he really wanted to go after you." 

You breathed out of relief, happy that your little excursion did not end in a horrible note. 

"I...," the young man started, looking for words. "It may sound really selfish..., " you glanced at him. Selfish and Cedric were not words that you would associate together. He was looking away. "But I am glad that I was the one who saved you." He finished, giving you a sheepish smile. Your heart skipped a beat. 

"Because I will forever be indebted to you?" You joked, trying to play it off. A chuckle escaped his lips too. 

"That’s exactly what I was thinking about while I was battling the troll." He laughed and suddenly turned serious and stopped walking. "No, seriously, _______. I don’t know what I would have done if something had happened to you...You’re important to me." He said the latter in a whisper. You could feel a blush creeping on your face. 

"You’re important to me too." You muttered. He seemed surprised by what you just said. You were now awkwardly looking at each other. Finally, a shy smile reached his face. 

"I know it’s not the best timing, but...Would you like to be my date to the Yule Ball, ____?" He asked. His eyes showing a mix of anxiety and hopefulness. Your heart was about to explode.

"I would love to." You answered, your voice reaching a higher pitch than usual.

You both smiled to yourselves as you made your way back to Hogwarts. You may not have discovered the secret being the golden egg, but you learned something far more important. That maybe your crush was not one-sided in the end. 


	2. The Yule Ball

Your dormitory had never been this lively. All your roommates were there, some of them accompanied by friends, talking excitedly about tonight while helping each other. Different pieces of colorful tissues covered the stove. It had not been lit up today, which was rare in December.

  
You hummed your favorite song as you touched up one last time your makeup. You glanced at your reflection in the mirror and slightly turned your head to check if everything was the same on each side of your face. A satisfied smile appeared on your lips. You had been practicing and harassing your friends for weeks to be able to achieve the look you dreamed of. You kept it simple, but the result was stunning. You got off your bed and extended your hand to grab your gown, which was hanging on your four-poster bed. You ran your fingers over the fabric, taking your time to appreciate it. It was a full-length sleeveless lace gown, with a V-neck. The skirt was made of layered glitter tulle. Beams were beautifully cascading from the top of the dress to the bottom of your waist, shimmering at every step you made. Since the moment you saw it, you knew it was made for you. You let go of your dress and worked on your hair. To your relief, it did not take as much time as you expected, since your friend helped you. You glanced at the clock; it was 7:30 p.m. Your heart rate increased. Was it due to excitement or anxiety? You did not know. You removed the clothes you were wearing and carefully put on your dress. You had one last thing to do. You looked at your shoes and hesitated between a pair of heels or flat ones. You were afraid that the heels may ruin your feet and your evening. There were too many hazards plausible with them, like falling in front of everyone or tearing your dress. But you still went for them, even if you could regret it later, they were the best option to compliment your gown. You picked a small handbag, matching the tone of your dress, put some toiletries inside, and left your dormitory. 

You were on top of the last staircase when you saw Cedric pacing up and down at the bottom, readjusting nervously his collar and his bow. You slowly made your way downstairs, as your heels clicked on the marble stair, the young man looked your way and stayed stunned. You made your way towards him; he was watching you, dumbstruck. You stopped in front of him; he was still frozen, eyeing you in awe. He suddenly came back to his senses and cleared his throat. 

“You... wow. I mean... wow.” He was flustered. “Sorry, you look really beautiful ____.” 

You could feel the heat on your cheek rising. 

“Thank you. You look really handsome too.” You answered with a sheepish smile.

He smiled in return and offered you his hand. You put your hands over his, sending waves of electricity throughout your body. 

“Ready?” He whispered in your ear. 

You nodded in response, as you were left breathless by his proximity, unable to utter a word. He led you towards the other contestants. You were just behind Hermione Granger and Viktor Krum and in front of Harry Potter and Parvati Patil. The doors opened, and you could hear the students clapping, leaving a path for the champions and their dates to pass. You started to walk in procession to the center of the Great Hall. Magical snow was falling down the roof. They had transformed the Great Hall into a fairytale Winterland. They had decorated the room in hues of silver and white, gigantic Christmas trees were at the back of the room. The long Houses table had disappeared, replaced by smaller ones. There were also sculptures made of ice of the different schools competing. Even the Beauxbâtons’ students would not have any critics to make in front of this masterpiece. They had outdone themselves for the ball. 

A hand found its way to your waist. You tensed up. You had forgotten that you were about to dance with your crush in front of the entire school. Your heartbeat quickened. You put your hand on his shoulder, and your free hands clasped together. You finally met his gaze, and suddenly everything disappeared around you. You were lost in his eyes as he led you around the ballroom. He did not tear his eyes from yours, as if you were all alone in the world. 

Unfortunately, the feeling was of short duration as other pupils and teachers joined you, and too soon the song ended. You did not move; you were drawn to each other like a moth to the light. Suddenly, someone bumped into you. It was a boy named Neville and his partner. The girl smiled sweetly, murmuring a “sorry” and left as quickly as they arrived. You finally became aware of where you were, and so did Cedric. You both hastily let go of the other one. 

“You were great.” He said.   
“Thank you, you were too.” You muttered. 

You stood in silence, watching the other dancing happily. 

“I am going to get us something to drink.” Cedric said and made his way towards the refreshment. 

You bit your cheek, trying to get a hold of yourself. Why was it so awkward? You have been friends for years. It should be easy. You should be having fun like everyone else. You scanned the room and noticed Harry, Ron, and theirs dates sitting at a table with a sour face. Well, almost everyone. Something cold brushed your arm, and you turned around, startled. 

“Sorry, I did not mean to surprise you ____.” Cedric said, handing you a glass.   
“It’s fine, I was just daydreaming... Thank you for the drink” You smiled and quickly gulped down some juice, hoping that it would miraculously help you let go of your awkwardness.  
“Everyone seems to have fun…” You nodded in agreement. “... But you don’t look so well…” He added. You looked at him, puzzled. You were perfectly fine except for the flock of heavy butterflies growing in your stomach. He cleared his throat.   
“I know I was the one to ask you as a date... Maybe you felt like you had to say yes because we were friends... I didn’t want to pressure you or anything... But you know I would have rather faced rejection than seeing you unhappy... with me.” He finished in a lower tone. 

Your stomach flipped as you looked at his face, and your heart felt ten times heavier. You opened your mouth, ready to tell him it was not the truth at all, but a voice interrupted you. 

“You are really pretty, _____” Viktor said behind you. He looked between you two. “Am I interrupting somezing?” He asked.   
“No, don’t worry. I was about to get something to drink.” Cedric announced as he walked past Viktor and patted him on the shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at you. 

“____? Maybe you should go after him.” He said worriedly. 

You watched Cedric’s silhouette in the distance. He had his usual smile on his face. 

“No, don’t worry, I will talk to him later…” You glanced back at Viktor. “So Hermione Granger, uh?” You teased him. 

You started talking about her and how he found her different from the other girls. When and how he asked her for the Yule ball. You were half-heartedly listening to him as Cedric’s words were still haunting your mind. Before you could even register, it was almost the end of the night and you still had not spoken to Cedric and you did not want to end the night on a bitter note. You excused yourself from the group of people you were talking to and looked for Cedric. As he was nowhere to be found you wandered to the rose gardens. You spotted him seated near a bush, covered by the shadow. You carefully approached him. 

“Is it ok if I sit next to you?” You asked. 

He seemed startled by your presence, but nodded anyway and scooted over a little to give you some space. However, he did not meet your gaze, focusing on the flower in his head instead. You sat down.

“I was worried as I did not see you come back after your drink.” You half-jokingly stated.   
“Ah. Sorry about that... You were having fun, I did not want to disturb you.” He apologized. 

You frowned. Now you were getting mad at him. 

“Well, I think I would have had more fun if my date had not ditched me in the middle of the ball.” 

He flinched a little and finally looked at you. 

“I am sorry, I assumed that…” You cut him off. 

“Well, that’s the issue, Cedric. You assumed wrong.” You fidgeted and let out a big sigh. “it’s my fault. I was being awkward and made you feel like I did not want to be here with you… but... to be honest, I spent weeks thinking about you and tonight. By Merlin’s beard, what am I saying?! I spent years thinking about you. So, no, I wasn’t unhappy to be here with you tonight, I was just trying to adjust to the fact that I was the date of the person I’ve been in love with since our first year.” 

You risked a glance in his direction. He looked as if he had seen a dementor. 

“I spent my night brooding over the fact that you were maybe in love with Viktor Krum. But you’re in love... with me?” He finally asked.   
“Yes. I mean, if that’s ok with you.” You murmured, suddenly feeling shy. 

He chuckled happily. 

“I am more than ok with that, _____.” He grinned. 

He stood up and offered you his hand. You took it and he lifted you. You were in his embrace, you could feel his breath on your cheek. 

“I owe you one last dance.” He stated as you put his hand on your waist and your hand in his. You placed your other hand on his shoulder. 

“Yes, you do.” You laughed. 

You danced silently to the soft music coming off the Great Hall and just as earlier nothing else mattered around you. Except, this time you grew closer to each new step you were making. You glanced at his mouth and closed your eyes, waiting for the sensation of his lips on yours, and it didn’t take long before you felt a tender pressure on your lips. 

He pulled away and looked at you lovingly. 

“I love you, ____.” He murmured as he brushed your lips, kissing you again.


End file.
